Foldina machine



(N6 Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet; 1.

s G. eoss. FOLDING MAGHINE.

Patented Oct. 20, 1896.

. 8 I w 0 I Iva/6707M (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. S G GOSS FOLDINGMAGHINE.

N z @QQQNQN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL G. GOSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOSS PRINTINGPRESS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,917, dated October20,1896. Application filed May '7, 1895. erial No. 548,451. (N0 model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL G. Goss, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fold-Creasing andFold-Laying Devices in Printing-Presses, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in whichFigure 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is anenlarged detail, being an end view of one of the fold-creasing andfold-laying shields. Fig. 4 is a detail showing the fold-creasing andfold-laying shields spread apart; and Fig. 5 is a modification, being afront elevation showing rollers instead of the fold-laying shields.

My invention relates to devices for creasing and laying the longitudinalfold of the web in webperfecting presses, and its principal object is toprovide new and improved devices for laying and creasing saidlongitudinalfold.

Anoth er and further object of my invention is to providemechanism bywhich the position of the fold-laying and fold-creasing devices, withreference to the apex of the V- shaped former, may be adjusted, wherebythe smooth and proper laying and creasing of said fold is greatlyfacilitated and crumpling and tearing of the paper along the foldprevented.

Another object of my invention is to provide mechanism or means by whichthe central margin of the web to be folded may be easily and readilymade to follow exactly the point of the former. It is well known thatwhen the paper which is used in the web-perfecting presses is wound uponthe rollers at paper-mills the rolls are not always evenly and regularlywound. This is due sometimes to slightly-varying thicknesses of thepaper and sometimes to slightly-varying tension of the web and tonumerous other causes. As a result of this uneven winding of the paperit frequently happens that when the printed web passes down over theformer the central medial line of the web along which the fold is tocome will not always coincide with or lie exactly upon the point of theformer, but will be thrown a little one side or the other of the saidpoint; and it is one of the objects of my invention to provide mechanismby which this may be corrected.

I accomplish these objects as hereinafter former, which, being of theusual and ordinary form, construction, and operation, need not beparticularly described.

2 indicates a carriage composed of a base 3 and uprights 4. The base ofthe carriage 2 is channeled so as to rest upon the crosspiece 5 of thefolder. The base 3 of the carriage 2 is provided with a slot 6, throughwhich a set-screw 7 passes into a threaded opening in the cross-piece 5.

- 8 indicates an upright formed integral with or secured to thecross-piece 5.

9 indicates an ad j usting-screw which passes through the upright 8 andinto a suitable threaded opening in the base of the carriage 2.

10 indicates a collar which is secured upon the adjusting-screw 9between the upright 8 and the carriage 2. It is obvious that, thesetscrew 7 being loosened when the adjustingscrew 9 is turned, thecarriage 2 will be moved to one side or the other, and then fixed in thedesired place by means of the set-screw 7.

11 (see Fig. 2) indicates a carriage mounted upon a cross-piece 12 ofthe folder upon the opposite side of the former 1 from the carriage 2.The carriage 11 is in all respects like the carriage 2, above described,and mounted upon the cross-piece in the same way and moved from side toside by an adj usting-screw 13, in the same way as the carriage 2, abovedescribed.

14 indicates pulling-rollers journaled in the cross-pieces 5 and 12,below the apex of the former 1, and adapted to pull the web 15 downwardover the former.

16 indicates one of the rollers of the folder, which may be of anyapproved form and construction.

17 18 indicate shafts which are journaled in the uprights of thecarriages 2 and 11, one on each side of the former 1 near its apex.

19 20 indicate shields of spring metal, which by means of brackets 21are keyed to the shafts 17 18, respectively. The opposing surfaces ofthe shields 19 20 are convex in shape and of approximately the shapeshown best in Fig. 3, and are so adjusted upon the shafts that when thelever 22, hereinafter described, is lowered to bring their lowersurfaces together the shields will contact one another at their loweropposing surfaces, as is shown in Fig. 1. Their upper portion is socurved that they may be opened in the position shown in Fig. at withouteomin g in contact with the former 1.

22 indicates a hand-lever which is keyed upon the outer end of the shaft17.

23 2% indicate arms which are secured, by set-screws or in any otherappropriate manner, upon the shafts 17 18, respectively, near the outerends of said shafts. One of said arms is provided with an elongatedopening or slot 25 near its inner end, and a pin 26 passes through theother arm near its inner end and through the slot 25. As the handlever22 is turned, the shaft 17 will be rotated, which rotation iscommunicated through the arms 23 24: to the other shaft, 18, thus movingsimultaneously the shields 19 20 toward or away from each other into therespective positions shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

The plates 19 20 are provided with avertical slot 27, extending asuitable distance upward from their lower edges upon a line just insideof a line vertically below the point of the former 1, and consequentlyinside of the folded edge of the web 15, as is best shown in Fig. 2.Those portions of the shields between the slots 27 and the outer edgesof the shields are bent slightly away from the rest of the surface ofthe shields, as is best shown in Fig. 3, so that said portions, when theshields are in place, will approach each other a little more closelythan the portions of the shields upon the other side of said slot. Thisportion of the shield normally has the position shown in Fig. 3, butwhen said shields have their lower portions brought into surfacecontact, or nearly so, by the hand-lever 22 the projecting portions ofthe shields are forced backward, thus causing a greater pressure betweentheir surfaces, and consequently upon the folded edge of the web whichpasses between them, than there is between the other parts of theiropposing surfaces.

28 indicates a collar, which is secured by a set-screw upon the shaft17, as is best shown in Fig. 2.

29 indicates a spiral spring a suitable distance behind the'upright i,which is mounted on the shaft 17. One end of the spring 29 enters asuitable socket in the collar 28 and the other a suitable socket in theupright 4. A similar collar and spring are placed upon the-shaft 18,which, being exactly like the collar and spring above described andmounted in the same way, are not shown or further described. The tensionof the springs is such as to cause the shafts 17 18 to rotate so as tomove the lower portions of the shields toward each other into theposition shown in Fig. 1

and to hold them in that position, the tension of said springs and theconsequent bearingpressure by the shields upon the web that passesbetween them being regulated by adjusting the collars upon theirrespective shafts by means of the set-screws.

The operation of my device is as follows: The web being brought downover the former is brought between the shields, which are opened asshown in Fig. 1. The web is then brought down between thepulling-rollers 11 and passed into a folder of any suitable or preferredconstruction, one of the rollers of which is indicated by the numeral 10and which operates to again fold the sheet after it has been folded bythe former and shields before described. The shields are then closedupon the web, their pressure upon the fold being regulated by adjustingthe tension of the springs, as above described, and the ma chine set inmotion. The pulling-rollers pull the web between the shields, which actas guides for the surface of the web over the former and crease and laythe fold. The position of the shields is adjusted by moving thecarriages to the right or left, as may be desired, by means of the adjListing-screws 9 and 13.

Fig. 5 shows a modification of the foldcreasing and fold-laying devices.30 31indicate rollers mounted upon shafts 32 33, respectively, carriedby the uprights 4 at of the carriages 2 and 11. The carriages aremounted upon the frame in the same manner above described. One of theuprights 4 of the carriage 2, in front of the former, has a slot 34Enear its top, as shown in Fig. 5. 35 indicates a sliding block mountedin the slot 3 1. The shaft 33 is journaled in the sliding block 35. 36indicates a compression-spring interposed between the sliding block 35and the side of the slot 3i and operating in its tension to yieldinglyhold the roller 31 against the roller 30 with sufficient force to drawthe web 15 downward over the former and crease and lay the longitudinalfold therein. The rollers 30 31 are of course driven in any ordinary andusual manner.

By means of the adjustable carriage, acting as above described, therollers may be adjusted with reference to the apex of the former andinsure the proper longitudinal folding and creasing of the web 15.

hen the pressman in charge of the press observes that the central medialline of the printed web, owing to the causes heretofore recited, doesnot coincide with the point of the former, but lies a little to one sideor the other of it, by giving a slight adjustment of the carriage eitherat the front or the rear and to one side or the other, as thecircumstances of the case require, the difficulty will at once beautomatically adjusted and the central medial line of thelongitudinally-folded web will be brought directly over and coincidewith the point of the former. The adjustment may be made by moving thecarriage at the front or at the rear of the foldlaying devices,according to circumstances, and the amount of adjustment is ascertainedby experiment and experience, as it will vary with the differentcircumstances of the case, but will be easily apparent to an experiencedpressman.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. The combination with a frame, and a former, of carriages mounted 011said frame and laterally adjustable thereon independently of each other,means for independently adjusting said carriages laterally relatively tothe discharge-point of the former, and foldlaying devices mounted insaid carriages, substantially as described and for the purposespecified.

2. The combination with a former, of foldlaying shields journaled onsuitable supports one 011 each side of said former, near its apex,springs operating normally to yieldingly hold said shields in contactwith one another at their lower opposing surfaces, and mechanism adaptedto draw a web over said former and between said shields, substantiallyas described.

3. The combination with a former,carriages mounted on suitable frameworkbelow said former, and means for adjusting the position of saidcarriages laterally, of curved fold-laying plates journaled on saidcarriages one on each side of said former near its apex, springsoperating normally to yieldingly hold said plates in contact with oneanother at their lower opposing surfaces, and mechanism adapted to drawa web over said former and between said plates, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with a V-shaped former, of curved fold-laying plateslocated one 011 each side of said former near its apex, said platesbeing vertically slotted upon a line interior to the apex of saidformer, and having the portions exterior to said slots bent away fromthe rest of the surfaces of said plates and toward each other, andmechanism adapted to draw a web over saidvformer and between saidplates, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a V-shaped former, of curved fold-laying eachside of said former near its apex, said plates being vertically slottedupon a line interior to the apex of said former, and having the portionsexterior to said slots bent away from the rest of the surfaces of saidplates and toward each other, means for adjusting said plates, andmechanism adapted to draw a web over said former and between saidplates, substantially as described.

0. The combination with a V-shaped former, carriages mounted uponsuitable supports below said former, and means for adjusting theposition of said carriages laterally, of shafts journaled in side ofsaid form er and near its apex, a handlever keyed upon one of saidshafts, arms connecting said shafts, fold-laying shields keyed upon saidshafts, springs bearing upon said shafts and adapted normally toyieldingly hold said shields in contact along their lower opposingsurfaces, and mechanism adapted to draw a web over said former andbetween said shields, substantially as described.

SAMUEL G. GOSS.

Witnesses O. E. PICKARD, H. A. TILDEN.

said carriages, one on each plates located one on

